[Dixielandjazz] School Directors and Jazz Sense

[Don Robertson]

My High School, Long Beach CA Polytechnic 1949 -1952, apparently had a 
hip band director, Tony Gill.  They had a dixieland band within the 
marching band, called "The Juvvy Hall 5 Plus Gill".  (like the Firehouse 
Five Plus 2 who were just becoming known at that time).  I didn't really 
know any of the musicians, but was just discovering dixieland at the 
time and was aware of the FHF + 2.  I remember one of the marching band 
trumpet players used to take his part up an octave.

Don Robertson
Napa, CA



On 8/17/2010 3:22 PM, Stephen G Barbone wrote:
> Martin McKay asked about jazz musicians in their formative school 
> years, and whether or not the band director had jazz sense.
>
> Dear Mart:
>
> In my high school years (late 1940s) my high school had a strong music 
> program. (Bayside HS in Queens County NY) Great Band and a Great 
> Orchestra. The music director had no jazz sense what so ever. He 
> viewed jazz in all its forms as illegitimate music. One day he caught 
> me playing a poor imitation of Rosy McHargue's solo on 12th Street Rag 
> in one of the individual practice rooms. He searched for the music and 
> was dumfounded to hear that I learned it by ear.
>
> His displeasure was evident and he threatened to throw me out of the 
> band (in my senior year when I was 1st chair 2nd clarinet).  if he 
> ever heard me playing that trashy jazz again. It was music of bums, he 
> said. BTW the first chair, 1st clarinet was Raoul Querze who went to 
> Curtis and then to the Philadelphia Orchestra as 2nd clarinet. 2nd 
> chair 1st clarinet was Ron Paolillo who went to the Pittsburgh 
> Symphony. They were great players. I was not.
>
> Also, the legendary Glenn Dodson (Philadelphia Orchestra), used to 
> regale us in Barbone Street about how Eugene Ormandy HATED jazz and 
> jazz musicians. He forbade the Orchestra members from playing jazz and 
> even had a jazz record made by Orchestra members taken out of 
> circulation. Glenn was very happy when Ormandy left in 1980.
>
>
> In 2004, we played a gig at the Old Pine Street Church in whose 
> graveyard, Ormandy is buried. Glenn stood over the grave and said: "I 
> hope you heard me playing some jazz today, maestro. If not, Barbone 
> Street just released a CD and I'm swinging on it."
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
>
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